A. Gabriel Esteban Named DePaul University's New President

Dr. A. Gabriel Esteban will be the first lay president in the history of DePaul University. View Full Caption

DNAinfo/Ted Cox

DEPAUL — A. Gabriel Esteban was named the 12th president of DePaul University Thursday.

Esteban, who comes over from Seton Hall University, was introduced to students, faculty and staff Thursday morning in the Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. The president-elect is set to assume the office July 1.

He is the first lay president in the 119-year history of the university. Bill Bennett, chairman of the university's board, which unanimously selected Esteban after a nationwide search, said it was significant he had broken the same ground at Seton Hall, and that he was expected to enhance DePaul's outreach and fundraising.

Bennett said it was essential to "keep tuition reasonable, absolutely," adding, "Financial aid is so important."

Bennett said Esteban "has quite a good track record in that" at Seton Hall, which invested almost $150 million in infrastructure under Esteban's tenure over the last five years, raising $40 million just in the last 1½ years.

Bennett said while Esteban might not be from the Vincentian order, he nonetheless shares many of the same core beliefs.

"He's very dedicated to serving the mission of the urban poor. He's very student-orientated," Bennett said. "He's totally dedicated to educating students who come from first-time families going to college, lower economic areas."

"DePaul's a great institution, let's face it," Esteban said. "DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the country, and their mission is something that's very important. They use higher ed as a public good. That's very, very refreshing."

Esteban said the university plays a critical role In "social mobility," and that studies had shown that DePaul was already among the top five Catholic universities in raising the economic status of their students.

"I think that's a wonderful thing. That's something we should embrace going forward," Esteban said. "It's one thing to bring them in. You also want them to become alumni and get jobs."

Esteban lauded DePaul's "excellent academic reputation" and said he was honored "to have the opportunity to shape its future in partnership with the university community."

"In my conversations with DePaul's students, faculty and staff, the distinct commitment to the university's mission and values strongly resonated with my own personal beliefs," Esteban said. "My family and I look forward to joining the DePaul community."

Esteban and his wife, Josephine, are natives of the Philippines who came to the United States as academics. While at the University of Central Arkansas earlier in his career, Esteban said, he and his wife made regular trips to Chicago as "our favorite city." They were also lured here by the presence of their daughter, a medical resident at the University of Chicago.